We also like to think of no pasa nada in terms similar to Hakuna Matata because it does feel like this magical motto that we got introduced once we began living in Spain. In that way, understanding just how many situations this saying can be applied to also means understanding just how many circumstances can be taken more lightly here.ĭon’t get us wrong, you can’t fail to turn in your final project and expect your professor to “be all no pasa nada about it.” Still, there’s something fresh and freeing about living among people who are more likely to respond with this phrase than any other when you’re worrying that there’s a problem at hand. Some things that we might take very seriously or think about as having dire consequences are just not as severe here. In general, the people here are more laid-back and less ‘tightly-wound’ than we are in the U.S., for example. Not only will you hear this phrase 100 times a day if you’re around Spaniards, we think it’s an important expression to know because it kinda sums up the Spanish way of looking at things. It can be applied to so many different situations: if someone bumps into you, someone’s dog jumps up on you but you love dogs, someone was too busy to answer your messages earlier in the day, the waiter forgot to bring your glass of water, someone needs to be comforted for potentially saying something stupid to a crush, a child falls down and is about to cry…we think you get the idea. It TRULY means that there’s no problem and the other person should brush it off―it’s all good! In that vein, no pasa nada most closely correlates with “don’t worry about it” or “it doesn’t matter.” However, we want to be clear that, unlike those two phrases in English, no pasa nada is never said sarcastically or ironically. No pasa nada literally translates to “nothing happens.” However, as you’ll find with many native expressions, sometimes in order to truly get the meaning in one language you have to just stop translating and try to take in its essence in the language and context it is used. As such, let us walk you through some explanations and comparisons first, then we’ll provide some practical examples for how you, too, can use no pasa nada in your everyday life. No pasa nada is such a common phrase to hear in Spain and it feels so integral to the Spanish way of life that we don’t want to translate it incorrectly for you. After even a short period of time in Spain, we bet you’ll be wondering about the meaning of no pasa nada is―if you haven’t heard this expression before.
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